From pasture to plate

This graphic story shows how some of the most popular foodstuffs in the U.S. are made, with an emphasis on how fossil fuels enter into the production chain. The amount of fossil-fuel energy used to make a steak, potato, soda and an organic salad may surprise you.

Sources: Michael Pollan, David Pimentel (Cornell University), Idaho Potato Commission, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, United States Department of Agriculture, University of California at Berkeley Center for Weight and Health, University of California at Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute, University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems.